Agricultural pollution is believed to be a leading contributor to nonpoint source pollution. Whereas most industrial polluters are subject to state and federal environmental regulations, historically, agriculture has been exempted. Most states depend on voluntary participation in technical assistance and educational programs to promote best management practice (BMP) adoption. The decision of agricultural producers to utilize BMPs is shaped by a number of forces. Research indicates that two highly significant factors influencing BMP adoption are farm size and education. However, social factors associated with the adoption of agricultural practices that improve water quality have received less attention. An exception is a 1998 survey of farm operators in the Mississippi Delta which highlighted the importance of institutional factors, such as the influence of information sources and attitudes toward government regulations, in the decision process. This poster will review the literature, incorporating a social dimension to better understand the array of factors that affect the adoption of new agricultural technology and best management practices. In particular, social capital in the form of trust, reciprocity, information, and cooperation associated with social networks will be explored. Social and institutional relations create value in the norms, shared values, and behaviors that bind people and communities, and make cooperative action possible. By understanding how social capital facilitates voluntary conservation decisions, policy makers are in a better position to promote participation in technical assistance and educational programs.